Gmail ideas: Snoozing, shortcuts, and other time-savers

You may not realize it from wanting, however Gmail is jam-packed with time-saving tips.

Some of ’em are correct there in entrance of your face, if you understand how to search out ’em — whereas others require a teensy little bit of under-the-hood tinkering to activate. But all of ’em are constructed correct into Gmail and have the potential to make managing your e-mail a heck of lots simpler.

Check out these 17 splendid Gmail ideas and get able to grasp your inbox as soon as and for all.

(Note that until in any other case specified, the following tips are particular to Gmail’s web-based desktop model.)

Gmail ideas: Inbox step-savers

1. You can truly view attachments correct out of your Gmail inbox. Provided you have not switched away from the service’s “default” interface association, you will see small tiles for each file related to an e-mail correct under the message’s topic line. And you possibly can click on on any of these tiles to open or preview the file’s contents and get on to the data you want.

JR Raphael/IDG

2. It’s simple to overlook, however take observe: When you hover your mouse over a message in your inbox, Gmail provides you a sequence of quick-access actions on the far-right facet of the road. You can archive the e-mail, delete it, mark it as learn or unread, snooze it, and even RSVP to a gathering request correct then and there — with out ever having to open the message.

3. A brilliant-useful keyboard shortcut I at all times neglect to make use of: While viewing a multi-email thread of messages — a dialog wherein you will have quite a few back-and-forth replies underneath the identical topic — hit the semicolon key (;) to increase the whole dialog and present each message within the thread. And then hit the colon key (:) to break down it again down so that you see solely the latest e-mail.

Just be sure you allow keyboard shortcuts first, if you have not already: Click the gear icon within the web site’s upper-right nook, then click on “See all settings” and search for the “Keyboard shortcuts” possibility halfway down the display screen that comes up. Select the “Keyboard shortcuts on” setting and then you should definitely click on the Save Changes button on the backside of the display screen.

4. Some of Gmail’s finest keyboard shortcuts are those you create your self. Go again into the web site’s settings and this time, click on the Advanced tab. See the road labeled “Custom keyboard shortcuts”? Click “Enable” subsequent to that, then click on the Save Changes button on the backside of the display screen.

Once Gmail refreshes itself to use the adjustments, return to the Settings space once more and search for the newly current Keyboard Shortcuts tab. There, you possibly can regulate any of the default keyboard settings to make them easier to activate or simpler to recollect.

One of my favourite changes, as an illustration — and one I depend on continuously — is including in a second command for the “Go to inbox” shortcut, which is usually gi by default. In Google’s outdated Inbox service, that shortcut was simplified down to only i, and when you get used to that shorter sequence, you will not need to return.

5. The panel on the correct of Gmail’s internet interface allows you to pull up Google Calendar, Google Keep, or Google Tasks correct inside your inbox so you possibly can handle data from every of these apps with out having to modify tabs or open something new — and here is a helpful hidden trick: With Tasks, you possibly can drag messages straight out of your inbox into the panel to create new duties round them.

JR Raphael/IDG

Unfortunately — and considerably surprisingly — the identical drag-and-drop conduct is not at the moment attainable with Calendar or Keep.

6. Another evident omission in that side-panel space is the shortage of any panel-based presence for Google Contacts, which looks like an apparent aspect for on-screen entry. If you will have Gmail keyboard shortcuts enabled, although, commit this workaround to reminiscence: Pressing g and then c will open up Contacts in a separate tab. It’s not fully optimum, however hey — it is one thing.

Gmail ideas: Composing shortcuts

Editor’s observe: Assuming you’ve enabled keyboard shortcuts (see tip 3), the next keyboard shortcuts work in any browser on any desktop working system. Mac customers, simply swap within the ⌘ key for “Ctrl” wherever you see it.

7. Ever like marking messages as unread after you’ve got opened ’em? Gmail makes that extremely simple to do: Anytime you will have an e-mail open, search for the envelope icon on to the best of the trash can within the horizontal row of icons above your message (within the space straight beneath the search bar). That’ll allow you to mark the message as unread with a single click on. Or, for a quicker and extra highly effective one-two punch, simply kind an underscore (_) whereas viewing any message. That’ll mark it as unread and zap you again to your foremost inbox.

8. Speaking of mixing a number of actions right into a single command, simplify your inbox group course of by enabling Gmail’s handy Send & Archive button. It locations a second button alongside the common Send button everytime you’re responding to an current message, and clicking that button (or, even higher but, hitting Ctrl-Enter in your keyboard) will ship your response and archive the thread in a single fell swoop.

To allow it, search for the “Send and Archive” possibility inside the General tab of Gmail’s settings. Click “Show ‘Send & Archive’ button in reply,” hit the Save Changes button on the backside of the display screen, and then prepare to avoid wasting your self steps the following time you kind a reply.

JR Raphael/IDG

9. I do not learn about you, however I often begin typing an e-mail and then determine in opposition to sending it. (Rather fittingly, I began typing out a prolonged clarification of the explanations however then determined in opposition to together with it.) If the identical factor ever occurs to you, keep in mind this: Hitting Ctrl-Shift-D when you’re within the Gmail compose device will shut the compose window and discard your draft. And it really works whether or not you are writing a brand new e-mail or a reply.

10. Another superior time-saver: In addition to the plain Ctrl-B for daring and Ctrl-I for italics e-mail formatting shortcuts, Gmail has hotkeys for doing a little superior types of textual content formatting — issues that’d in any other case require a number of clicks and a lot menu-hunting to perform.

The ones I take advantage of probably the most:

• Ctrl-Shift-8 will add a bulleted record into your e-mail (similar to this record!), and Ctrl-Shift-7 will add a numbered one.
• Ctrl-Shift-9 will offset textual content in a blockquote model.
• Ctrl-] will indent textual content, whereas Ctrl-[ will take away any indentation.
• And Ctrl- will take away any formatting in your chosen textual content and make it as plain as could be.

11. You’d by no means realize it, however the Gmail compose device itself can tackle varied varieties, relying in your preferences. Make a psychological observe of those potentialities and the shortcuts to get to ’em:

• To begin a brand new message within the default lower-right-corner-of-the-screen window view, hit c.
• To begin a brand new message in a pop-up window completely separate out of your foremost Gmail tab, hit Shift-C. You can do the identical factor for a reply by hitting Shift-R whereas viewing a message thread — or Shift-A for reply-all.
• To begin a brand new message in a full-screen compose window inside your foremost Gmail tab, hit c — then click on the little arrow icon within the compose device’s upper-right nook. (You may also hit Shift whereas clicking that icon to pop the message out right into a separate pop-up window type.)
• If you’d reasonably use that full-screen compose window on a regular basis, by default, click on the three-dot menu icon within the lower-right nook of the compose device and search for the “Default to full-screen” possibility there. (If you ever change your thoughts, you will discover the choice to disable that desire in that exact same spot.)
• If for some motive you want the concept of composing a message in a brand new tab as an alternative of a pop-up window or inside the primary Gmail tab, simply hit d whereas in your inbox. That’ll do the trick!

To see extra keyboard shortcuts, simply kind ? whereas viewing any message record inside Gmail.

Gmail ideas: Smarter snoozing

12. Don’t neglect to make the most of Gmail’s super-handy snoozing device: Instead of letting messages linger in your inbox and pile as much as an unmanageable level, use the snooze perform to assist your self cope with every thing as quickly as you see it.

rule of thumb to keep up: If you possibly can reply to one thing in lower than a minute, do it. If one thing would not require any motion in your behalf, archive it instantly. And if one thing requires some form of motion however you do not have the time to mess with it at that second, snooze it to a day and time if you will be capable to deal with it.

You can snooze an e-mail out of your inbox by hovering over the message and choosing the clock-shaped Snooze icon, as famous in tip 2. You may also snooze an e-mail whereas it is open by clicking the Snooze icon to the best of the envelope icon within the row on the prime of the web page. Or you possibly can merely press b when you’re viewing a message or when you have it chosen in your inbox. From the menu that pops up, choose a preset time or specify a date and time of your selecting.

JR Raphael/IDG

13. Gmail even makes it attainable to snooze a number of messages on the identical time — in case you see multiple e-mail that must be pushed again to the identical level. From your inbox, merely click on the bins to the left of any messages you need to embody, then click on the clock-shaped icon within the horizontal row of icons that seems on the prime of the display screen and choose the day and time you need.

14. Need to get again to one thing you snoozed — or change the day and time at which it is set to reappear? You can at all times discover all your snoozed emails in Gmail’s Snoozed part, situated beneath the “Inbox” line within the left-hand panel. Once you are there, simply hover over any e-mail and click on the clock-shaped icon to alter its snooze settings or unsnooze it fully.

15. You can snooze messages from the Gmail cellular apps, too, although the choice is a bit buried. From the inbox view, press and maintain a message to pick it, then faucet the three-dot menu icon on the prime of the display screen and search for “Snooze” within the record of choices that seems. If you’ve got already opened the message, faucet the three-dot menu icon on the prime of that display screen; it’s best to see “Snooze” present up as a part of the choices there as effectively.

16. Make snoozing even easier within the Gmail cellular app by assigning it to certainly one of your inbox swipe actions. Just open up the app, faucet the three-line menu icon in its upper-left nook, then choose “Settings.” On Android, faucet “General settings” adopted by “Swipe actions”; on iOS, the “Swipe actions” possibility can be on the primary display screen you see.

All that is left is to set both your left swipe or correct swipe to “Snooze,” and then, you possibly can merely swipe any message in that path out of your inbox to snooze it — no wasted faucets or menu diving required. (The Gmail Android app has a number of other equally beneficial hidden options, by the best way, most of which are not out there on iOS.)

JR Raphael/IDG

17. In addition to having the ability to choose your personal customized date and time for snoozing, you possibly can truly customise what default instances Gmail makes use of for its preset “Morning,” “Afternoon,” and “Evening” snoozing choices — although no regular particular person would ever notice that, because the related setting is not even inside Gmail itself; it is inside Google Keep. (Perfectly smart, correct?)

So here is the key: Open up Keep, click on the gear icon in its upper-right nook, and then click on “Settings.” (If you are utilizing the Keep cellular app as an alternative of the web site, faucet the three-line menu icon within the app’s upper-left nook and then choose “Settings” there.) Look for the “Morning,” “Afternoon,” and “Evening” choices beneath the Reminder Defaults header, enter in no matter instances you need for every day half, and then click on “Save” (or just again out of the settings space, within the cellular app).

Refresh your Gmail tab, and there you will have it: The instances you chose in Keep will now be used for a similar respective day components there and within the Gmail cellular app as effectively. Yay, Google logic!

More Gmail magic

Well, effectively — wouldya take a look at that? Your Gmail time-saving toolbox is full! What inbox enchancment do you need to deal with subsequent?

Choose your personal journey:

This story was initially printed in May 2018 and up to date in July 2020.